SEATTLE | Downtown Projects: Completed, U/C, Proposed/Approved

[Hoodrat]

^^

Good to hear...I always forget about that one.

[Aleks]

I got a render from the Lexas website of 1200 Stewart and found another old one on the SLOG.



This one's from the SLOG:


And two renderings of Second & Pike. I'm not sure if they've been posted before but what the heck.



Last three images from SLOG.

[mSeattle]

Second & Pike seems interesting. Nice filler. The Denny/Stewart towers look like they've been toned down (from blue to gray) and the setbacks on top are gone. The glass is good and I don't mind removing the funny pinnacles but please don't put a hulking gray twin-tower complex there.

Will be interesting to see how we do in getting out of the economic bumbling we've gotten ourselves into, and if these projects stay in the pipeline.

[Cascadeguy]

[Aleks]

Nice updates! So is 1521 ready to be moved to the completed section or is there still work going on in the base levels?

[Vashon118]

Originally Posted by Aleks0o01

Nice updates! So is 1521 ready to be moved to the completed section or is there still work going on in the base levels?

Not yet. Work still going on at the base level and not all of the glass has been put in yet.

818 Stewart can be moved to the completed section.

[destroybananas]

1200 Stewart is going to be a beautiful project.

[genghis]

What's the name of that 4th building down on CascadeGuy's pic update? If that's the final cladding on the thing, then it's flat out uninspiring, and even a little depressing. Reminds me of some of the worst public housing projects of the '60s.

[Aleks]

The Olivian? It's a great building. Well, one of the best looking, definitely better than Aspira. That's just the plain side [South] but the other three sides looks awesome. If AVA is built this side will be covered yp and the location will looks better.

[Hoodrat]

I agree with genghis in a way. That side of the Olivian is really gross, another beige slab in a town with far too many beige slabs. It's probably intentional though, even if AVA isn't built, something will go up on that site and block the view.

[Urban Zombie]

I'm also pissed about the beige on the Olivian. Who ever thought of that should be sterilized. Something silvery and metallic-like would much better suit an otherwise great project.

[Aleks]

I agree with UZ, it'd be nice to have a metallic-like building going up but for the scale of the project and type of use it makes sense. The top and base will have a black panel covered part which will make the building look better. And Hoodrat could be right, maybe the developers knew that something would eventually be developed on that lot next door and didn't want to waste money on a side which would barely be paid attention to. Besides, the North and West side will look great! What really bothers me about the Olivian is the exposed concrete slab on the AVA site. Definitely one of the best apartment buildings in Seattle.

What really needs to change is the design of Aspira. It makes me sick!

[genghis]

Originally Posted by Aleks0o01

The Olivian? It's a great building. Well, one of the best looking, definitely better than Aspira. That's just the plain side [South] but the other three sides looks awesome. If AVA is built this side will be covered yp and the location will looks better.

Eh, could be, and like others have said the developers probably didn't want to spend the money on a facade that might eventually be obscured by an adjacent hi-rise. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened. Still, It's beige. I'm sick of beige. These days I'm kinda' fond of green and blue-violet-ish glazing. But my favorite is the blue-green used on Bellevue Pacific Tower (1995). A decade ago I used to drive by it on my return commute to Seattle each evening. On those nights there was actually a sunset, the glass totally lit up with the reflection.

Is there a link to the Olivian's website? I'd sorta' like to take a look at the plan as well. The floor plate seems so skinny. I'm wondering how the architect actually managed to squeeze a core into that thing.

[Vashon118]

^

http://theolivian.com/

No floor plans though. Not much of anything else for that matter.

[Hoodrat]

All the websites for up and coming apartment towers seem to be dull compared to the ones for condos.

[destroybananas]

Originally Posted by Hoodrat

I agree with genghis in a way. That side of the Olivian is really gross, another beige slab in a town with far too many beige slabs. It's probably intentional though, even if AVA isn't built, something will go up on that site and block the view.

Do you suppose maybe they're going to have something else covering that side of the olivian which is why they didn't care to make it pretty? like another highrise perhaps?

[mhays]

Originally Posted by Hoodrat

All the websites for up and coming apartment towers seem to be dull compared to the ones for condos.

Nobody pre-leases apartments this far out.

And when they get to leasing, they're only asking for a one-year commitment, so they don't need to sell a lifetime of security and luxury as much.

[genghis]

Originally Posted by Hoodrat

I agree with genghis in a way. That side of the Olivian is really gross, another beige slab in a town with far too many beige slabs. It's probably intentional though, even if AVA isn't built, something will go up on that site and block the view.

I did go look at the Olivian website and, as has been mentioned, it really doesn't look bad at all on the other 3 facades.

I assume everyone here has read the Seattle Times article today (Sunday) titled "Downtown Slowdown: Seattle, Bellevue Building Projects Take a Hit." If not, here's the link:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...wntowns26.html

It's not a good time to be in the office or condo markets, but the silver lining is the apartment market. As the article mentions, the credit crunch, combined with the popping of the housing bubble and very low vacancy rates in the Puget Sound region, means that several large projects are racing to to get underway.

I know this firsthand since, like others here, I work in the the industry. I can't really say much more though at the moment. I'm going to drive over to
5th & Yesler today and take some pics, so I'll try to get them posted later. Now that all the concrete work for the base and core is done, they're going gangbusters on the steel framing.

I couldn't really say too much about that project in the past, but now that its so far along I think it's safe enough to admit now that I was very involved in that building. I worry about it a little now. Initially it was a really nice design, but a lot of the nicer curtainwall and cladding features were valu-engineered out due to rising material costs. For example: Originally, the north facade was supposed to be Italian granite, but is now mostly precast concrete panels. Some granite remains, but only at the podium. The curtainwall on the remaining sides had to be drastically simplified as well, so it's not going to be as interesting as it once was.

But that's the way it typically goes on any project. Architectural features are the first to go. After all, you really can't start eliminating structual elements or MEP items. Those are basic elements and required in the building program.

[Aleks]

Update! ish. Just some pictures from yesterday and Saturday. Everything seems to be going well [well, what is U/C it does].

First we have the Retail Core Trio, Olivian, O8 and Aspira.


Aspira is getting taller but I hope that concrete side gets covered in some kind of plaster at least.


You can see 1918 on this picture, it looks mighty tall and it sure will when completed. I actually want them to leave the core like that, it'd make a nice observation tower, and it looks cool. Of course... it would never work out...


And last picture of Aspira from the Greyhound Station..


Next we have O8! Yeah, O8 baby! It looks nice, this is my first time being up-close since the crown panels were installed.




And one picture of Olivian, it's looking good from that street. Can't wait until all of this is completed! If AVA makes it through it will complete the equation. Actually, a park would [after AVA if built of course].


Then there's more of 1908. It looks mighty tall as I said before and it looks good from Westlake too!






Some Skyline @ First Hill. It looks good, just not as good as the other towers to the North.




And from I-5 heading Northbound...


That other one I always forget the name of... 5th and James? Madison? Yesler?


I think this is 5th & Madison? No, 7th and Madison. But anyways, it looks good, it "pops out" from the surrounding building.


And last but not least! 1521 2nd Ave! It's almost there! Woo-Hoo, it's come a long way since it was just a 4 story base. Now it's a whole 38 floor, 445' footer.








Finally, a blurry shot from the Aurora bridge. You can see... 08, Olivian, 1918, West 8th, and Aspira's crane. Not much but it's something.

[mSeattle]

Nice update. You forgot Escala.